A Gathering Storm

Session 1, Part 2 - Into the Lighthouse

9

MAR/13

When the heroes descend the stairs, they find themselves in a crypt with two other exits. Checking the chmaber to the right first, they discover a room with a large pyramid shaped dias in the center. Atop the dias stands a massive altar which upon closer inspection reveals several mirrors. Kazen-kai and Manteia were able to sense magic exuding from the mirrors and with closer examination determined them to be scrying mirrors, each tuned to a different chamber. One mirror showed a goblin pressing the eyes a stone gargoyle before leaving a chamber by a hidden door.

After leaving the scrying chamber, the other door off the main chamber had a short hallway that ended shortly at another hallway running crosswise to the first. From the left came the sounds of voices, and something that could only be described as a working kitchen.

Before they could reach the hallyway, a few goblins crossed the end of the passage moving towards the noise. The heroes quickly engaged them in battle. As the fighting moved into the crossing hallway, the left passage did indeed reveal a kitchen, complete with kitchen staff who rushed into the fray wielding their kitchen knives as weapons. The master of the kitchen stepped from view to the side of the room and the sound of a cage opening could be heard moments before a drake moved down the hallway, belching small fires as it came. When all the goblins and the drake were defeated, Ashcar discovered that the blood of the drake was the source of the creatures fire and could be used to make his blade burn. He quickly collected some of the blood before they moved to the other end of the hallway.

Just past the intersection, the hallway opens up into another chamber from which no sounds were heard. When Ashcar crossed the threshold, even all sound of his movements were gone. Spotting a number of beds in the chamber, some form of barracks, he quickly moved to the two occupied beds and silenced the two sleeping goblins forever.

When Ashcar turned to signal the others, they could see his mouth moving but no sound was coming until he stepped out of the chamber. A quick analysis showed that the room had been shrouded to silence, no sound could be heard within the chamber.

Moving to the only other exit from the barracks, the heroes once again moved down a short hallway where they encountered and quickly eliminated a small group of guards before reaching a dead end. The passages ended at a chamber containing the statue from the scrying mirror. The heroes pushed on the eyes as they had seen the goblin do to reveal another chamber containing a waist high pool.

As they examined the pool, it was determined to be used to teleport further into the complex. With careful study, two methods of operating the ritual contained in the pool were determined: and offering of blood or a show of trust to the water spirits. Belim was the first to pass through to the other side after slicing his hand and offering blood to the water. Most followed suit until only Ashcar remained, he offered a secret to the pool as none of his allies were there to hear.

Appearing in the base of a round building with stairs spiralling up, they determined that they must have reached the base of the lighthouse. Quickly moving up the stairs, they reached a level featuring a large gong and a set of double doors that led to the beach beyond. Two goblins stood near the door and Belim quickly moved between them and the gong before they could sound the alarm. With the two sentries quickly dealt with, they continued further up the stairs into the lighthouse.

Reaching the next level of the lighthouse, they discovered a number of goblins as well as two more of the drakes in cages. Belim and Ashcar quickly approached the goblins while being sure to stay well away from the cages and out of reach of the drakes fire. As the others entered the chamber, Manteia was not so careful and was singed by one of the drakes. As the heroes quickly worked to eliminate the goblins, it was spotted that one of the drakes was muzzled. With the goblins defeated, Manteia moved to eliminate the drakes and managed to slay the one still belching fire from within its cage but Ashcar stopped him from killing the other. When the sounds of the fighting stopped, a loud noise came from the top of the next flight of stairs as a board was thrown across the opening to form a rudimentary barricade.